Wireless device, a network node and methods therein for improved signaling in a wireless communications network

Abstract

Embodiments herein relate to a method performed by network node (110) in a wireless communications network (100). The network node (110) transmits a number of bits indicating an uplink duration and an offset for a burst of uplink subframes to a wireless device (121) in a downlink subframe on a downlink control channel. Embodiments herein also relate to a method performed by a wireless device (121) in a wireless communications network (100). The wireless device (121) receives a number of bits indicating an uplink duration and an offset for a burst of uplink subframes to a wireless device (121) in a downlink subframe on a downlink control channel. Embodiments of the network node (110) and the wireless device (121) are also described.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method performed by a network node in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:
 transmitting a plurality of bits indicating an uplink duration and an offset for a burst of uplink subframes to a wireless device in a downlink subframe on a downlink control channel; and 
 transmitting information indicating that one or more subframes in the burst of uplink subframes is to be used for enhanced Physical Uplink Control Channel (ePUCCH) transmissions, and information indicating that one or more subframes in the burst of uplink subframes have a gap for a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure, wherein the method further comprises: 
 
       transmitting information indicating whether or not the wireless device, which previously has deferred uplink transmissions, is allowed to perform uplink transmissions in the first uplink subframe of the burst of uplink subframes. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the offset indicates a number of subframes to the start of the burst of uplink subframes from the downlink subframe, and the uplink duration indicates the number of subframes comprised in the burst of uplink frames. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising
 transmitting an indication of a switch of Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure to be utilized by the wireless device for the burst of uplink subframes. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting information indicating at least one offset until the first uplink subframe of the burst of uplink subframes for and after which such uplink transmissions may be performed by the wireless device. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting an indication of an offset until the starting subframe of the burst of uplink subframes for which a switch of LBT procedure is to be performed. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the downlink control channel is a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) or a common Physical Downlink Control Channel (C-PDCCH). 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the network node is configured to provide Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) on a secondary cell (SCell) in the wireless communications network and wherein the transmitting is performed in a primary cell (PCell) in the wireless communications network but correspond to the SCell. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein a common control Radio Network Temporary Identifier (CC-RNTI) is used in the transmissions. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the offset indicates a number of subframes from the downlink subframe to a point in the burst of uplink subframes. 
     
     
       10. A network node in a wireless communications network, the network node comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions for execution by the processor whereby the network node is configured to:
 transmit a plurality of bits indicating an uplink duration and an offset for a burst of uplink subframes to a wireless device in a downlink subframe on a downlink control channel; and 
 transmit information indicating that one or more subframes in the burst of uplink subframes is to be used for enhanced Physical Uplink Control Channel (ePUCCH) transmissions, and/or information indicating that one or more subframes in the burst of uplink subframes have a gap for a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure, wherein the network node is further configured to transmit information indicating whether or not the wireless device, which previously has deferred uplink transmissions, are allowed to perform uplink transmissions in the first uplink subframe of the burst of uplink subframes. 
 
     
     
       11. The network node of  claim 10 , wherein the offset indicates a number of subframes to the start of the burst of uplink subframes from the downlink subframe, and the uplink duration indicates the number of subframes comprised in the burst of uplink frames. 
     
     
       12. The network node of  claim 10 , wherein the network node is further configured to transmit an indication of a switch of Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure to be utilized by the wireless device for the burst of uplink subframes. 
     
     
       13. The network node of  claim 10 , wherein the network node is further configured to transmit information indicating at least one offset until the first uplink subframe of the burst of uplink subframes for and after which such uplink transmissions may be performed by the wireless device. 
     
     
       14. The network node of  claim 10 , wherein the network node is further configured to transmit an indication of an offset until the starting subframe of the burst of uplink subframes for which a switch of LBT procedure is to be performed. 
     
     
       15. The network node of  claim 10 , wherein the downlink control channel is a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) or a common Physical Downlink Control Channel (C-PDCCH). 
     
     
       16. The network node of  claim 10 , wherein the network node is configured to provide Licensed Assisted Access (LAA) on a secondary cell (SCell) in the wireless communications network and wherein the transmitting is performed by the network node in a primary cell (PCell) in the wireless communications network but correspond to the SCell. 
     
     
       17. The network node of  claim 16 , wherein a common control Radio Network Temporary Identifier (CC-RNTI) is used in the transmissions. 
     
     
       18. A method performed by a wireless device in a wireless communications network, the method comprising:
 receiving, in a downlink subframe on a downlink control channel, a plurality of bits indicating an uplink duration and an offset for a burst of uplink subframes; and 
 receiving, from a network node, information indicating that one or more subframes in the burst of uplink subframes is to be used for enhanced Physical Uplink Control Channel (ePUCCH) transmissions, and/or information indicating that one or more subframes in the burst of uplink subframes have a gap for a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure, wherein the method further comprises receiving information indicating whether or not the wireless device, which previously has deferred uplink transmissions, are allowed to perform uplink transmissions in the first uplink subframe of the burst of uplink subframes. 
 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the offset indicates a number of subframes to the start of the burst of uplink subframes from the downlink subframe, and the uplink duration indicates the number of subframes comprised in the burst of uplink frames. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising
 stop monitoring the downlink control channel for subframes in the burst of uplink subframes. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 18 , further comprising receiving an indication of a switch of Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure to be utilized by the wireless device for the burst of uplink subframes. 
     
     
       22. A wireless device in a wireless communications network, the wireless device comprising a processor and memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory comprising program instructions for execution by the processor, whereby the wireless device is configured to:
 receive, in a downlink subframe on a downlink control channel, a plurality of bits indicating an uplink duration and an offset for a burst of uplink subframes; and 
 receive, from a network node, information indicating that one or more subframes in the burst of uplink subframes is to be used for enhanced Physical Uplink Control Channel (ePUCCH) transmissions, and/or information indicating that one or more subframes in the burst of uplink subframes have a gap for a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure, wherein the wireless device is further configured to receive information indicating whether or not the wireless device, which previously has deferred uplink transmissions, are allowed to perform uplink transmissions in the first uplink subframe of the burst of uplink subframes. 
 
     
     
       23. The wireless device of  claim 22 , wherein the offset indicates a number of subframes to the start of the burst of uplink subframes from the downlink subframe, and the uplink duration indicates the number of subframes comprised in the burst of uplink frames. 
     
     
       24. The wireless device of  claim 22 , wherein the wireless device is further configured to stop monitoring the downlink control channel for subframes in the burst of uplink subframes. 
     
     
       25. The wireless device of  claim 22 , wherein the wireless device is further configured to receive an indication of a switch of Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure to be utilized by the wireless device for the burst of uplink subframes. 
     
     
       26. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising, stored thereupon, instructions that, when executed on at least one processor of a wireless device in a wireless communications network, cause the wireless device to:
 receive a plurality of bits indicating an uplink duration and an offset for a burst of uplink subframes, the plurality of bits received in a downlink subframe on a downlink control channel; and 
 receive, from a network node, information indicating that one or more subframes in the burst of uplink subframes is to be used for enhanced Physical Uplink Control Channel (ePUCCH) transmissions, and/or information indicating that one or more subframes in the burst of uplink subframes have a gap for a Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) procedure, wherein instructions that, when executed on the at least one processor of the wireless device in the wireless communications network, further cause the wireless device to: receive information indicating whether or not the wireless device, which previously has deferred uplink transmissions, are allowed to perform uplink transmissions in the first uplink subframe of the burst of uplink subframes.